Journal of AdvancedMedical and Dental Sciences Research

Background: Preterm birth is defined as birth before 37 completed weeks gestation, and it is estimated that each day, across the world over 41,000 infants are born before this gestational age. The simplest and least invasive type of ventilator provides nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). Hence; the present study was undertaken for assessing the outcome of preterm infants with Respiratory Distress on CPAP. Materials & methods: A total of 50 subjects were enrolled. Routine Investigations and Chest Xray was done. Vitals were monitored every 30 mins from starting of CPAP. CPAP failure is defined as: SpO2 <88% on FiO2 >60% for >30 minutes (with requirement of CPAP >8 cms of H2O), Pathologic apnea and Increasing Retractions. All the results were recorded in Microsoft excel sheet and were analysed by SPSS software. Chi- square test, student t test and Mann-Whitney U test were used for assessment of level of significance. Results: CPAP success occurred in 80 percent of the subjects while CPAP failure occurred in remaining 10 percent of the subjects. CPAP failure referred to recovering after shifting to mechanical ventilation. Conclusion: CPAP is an effective way of improving oxygenation of preterm babies with respiratory distress due to various causes. Key words: CPAP, Respiratory